1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outer mirror to be attached to a side door of a vehicle or a surrounding area of the side door.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 11, a typical outer mirror includes as main components:
a) a mirror base 110 that has a ledge 100 protruding from the side of a vehicle body (not shown);
b) a shaft 111 secured to the upper surface of the ledge 100;
c) a mirror housing 113 mounted on the shaft 111 through a drive unit 112 in a rotatable fashion; and
d) a mirror 115 fixed to an opening 113A formed on the rear of the mirror housing 113 through an actuator 114 for adjusting the orientation of a mirror surface. As an example of this outer mirror, one described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-299481 is cited.
In this outer mirror, the frame 120 with the drive unit 112 is required to be inserted into the mirror housing 113 through the opening 113A of the mirror housing 113. This insertion process is time consuming and troublesome, and there is room for improvement.
In addition, it is in demand that the structure of the outer mirror is more resistant to vibrations. This is because the frame 120 is attached to the mirror housing 113 through the opening 113A by the screws 116 on the same axis as the wind blows the outer mirror when the vehicle runs.
Taking the above description into account, the present invention has been conceived. An object of the present invention is to provide an outer mirror in which individual components are easy to assemble and which is superior in durability.